Nick Shady wants to do it his way

Former Liberal throws his hat into the ring as an independent candidate

NICK Shady is standing as an independent candidate for the Federal seat of Ballarat because he can freely talk about what he wants to.

Describing himself as a man with a strong community conscience, he wants to enter politics to represent his community in his own way in Canberra.

“As an independent I don’t have to toe a party line,” Mr Shady said.

Born and educated in Ballarat Mr Shady now lives in Newington having worked on the family farm in Skipton since 1989.

When the farm was spit up, he worked his share for the past ten years before selling it but continues working as a share farmer and contractor.

He said while he was part of the farming community, he became aware of the mental health issues some farmers faced and felt committed to give his time as a phone counsellor as well as serving on the steering committee for The Ripple Effect project, a program designed to combat rural suicide.

Mr Shady, who is separated with a seven-year-old son, Spencer, said he has always had an interest in local politics.

“I stood for preselection with Liberal Party at the last state election but I was unsuccessful.”

He resigned as a member of the party after the election.

When he stood at the last municipal elections in 2016, he achieved 7 per cent of the vote in a field of nine candidates for the South Ward.

“It wasn’t too bad, but if you are not well known it is very hard,” he said.

“People get upset about the local councillors but they always vote the incumbents back in. You can’t really make change if you keep voting the same people back in.”

Mr Shady said there is not enough strong leaders in Ballarat, especially in the conservative side of politics due in part to the lack of representation at state or federal level.

“The City of Ballarat is a bit left out, we are the poor cousin to Melbourne, we are a satellite city of Melbourne with the Ballarat commuters being let down by the current transport system and the road system,” he said.

As an independent candidate he values the opportunity to speak his mind.

“If I was running for the Liberals, I can’t say that I think climate change is real,” Mr Shady said.

“Being a farmer, I have seen it first hand how the climate has changed.”

The candidate said if he wasn’t running as an independent, he wouldn’t be able to say Australia needs to halt immigration levels until infrastructure catches up.

Nor would he be able to say there’s need to get rid of labour hire companies to help protect people’s wages.

“I see where people are losing wages due to having these types of agencies, as there is more casualisation of the work force,” he said.

He is determined to make his message clear to the voters so if they like what he has to say they can make informed decisions on the ballot paper.

“It’s about the education of the voters because a lot of people see the election just having to go to vote,” Mr Shady said.

“There is no real thought about how valuable their vote is, here in Australia we think compulsory voting is just an obligation.”

Fighting for the underdog is a way of life claims Mr Shady, who is said he’s unwavering in representing those in the community he believes are unheard and unseen.

“The mental health space here in Ballarat is a catastrophe, it doesn’t get the funding and it doesn’t get the communication because no one wants to talk about what’s happening in our community,” he said.

He wants to start a conversation and bring this issue to the forefront of the voters’ minds so they can support his policies when it comes time to vote.

Being involved in what goes on in the local community and spending time with his family have always been close to his heart.

Getting away on weekends with Spencer and visiting his father in hospital over the last ten months takes up his spare time.

Mr Shady said he takes pride in being a friendly type of person who listens to people and hopefully they see him as a leader they can trust.

“I think that is something you need to have, if people don’t trust you, they are not going to vote for you,” he said.